Lesson Eight - The Holy Spirit and Grace
Text by Pat Austin, St. Patrick's Cathedral RCIA Instructor
The Doctrine of the Trinity was not known in the Old Testament. The Jews of the Old Testament were surrounded by pagan gods. Sometimes they worshipped these pagan gods. So God just "hammered" away at the truth that there is only one God. God did not complicate this teaching by revealing that there are three Divine Persons in this one God. Jesus revealed this in the New Testament.
The Holy Spirit -- the third Person of Trinity -- the Living Love between God, the Father, and God, the Son.
The Holy Spirit is the living Spirit of the Church today. "The Holy Spirit dwells in the Church as the source of its life and sanctifies souls through the gift of grace." Reference: Text page 100.
The three Divine Persons are inseparable. They do not act individually. Even so, we appropriate actions to each of them.
Grace -- Latin -- Gratis -- favor, free gift. Unfortunately the word has many meanings today, none of them correct in the religious sense.
Definition -- Grace is a gift of God; It is an interior gift. It is a supernatural gift. It is bestowed (given) on us through the merits of Jesus Christ for our salvation.
This grace is called Sanctifying Grace -- to make Holy.
Baptism brings this grace into our souls for the first time. We are not born with it. When God created Adam, God gave him a gift that wasn't naturally his -- the indwelling of God Himself in Adam's soul. Adam was actually sharing God's life. This Divine Life that we share is called Sanctifying Grace. It allows us to live in close union and communication with God now in this life, here on Earth. Also, this grace prepares the soul for another gift that God will give face to face as He really is. This is referred to as "The Light of Glory" or Beatific Vision.
CC-2023, "Sanctifying Grace is the gratuitous gift (free) of His (Christ's) life that God makes to us; it is infused by the Holy Spirit into the soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it."
CC-2024, "Sanctifying Grace makes us 'Pleasing to God.'"
Sanctifying Grace is referred to as permanent (habitual). It can only be lost through mortal sin. If lost, it can be restored through the Sacrament of Penance (reconciliation).
It is important that we increase sanctifying Grace within our soul.
The more the soul is purified of self, the more responsive it becomes to the action of God. As self diminishes, sanctifying grace increases. It is the degree of Sanctifying Grace that will determine the degree of our happiness in Heaven.
The Degree of Happiness in Heaven will depend upon the spiritual sharpness of our spiritual vision which will depend upon the degree of Sanctifying Grace in our souls at the time of death.
Concerning Sanctifying Grace:
Sanctifying Grace is absolutely necessary to gain eternal salvation.
Sanctifying grace is increased (strengthened) in our souls through prayer and the sacraments.
Another type of grace is actual grace.
Actual grace is given by God for three reasons:
In connection with God's Grace, there is a truth taught by the Church - God gives to every soul He creates sufficient grace to get to Heaven. No one will lose Heaven except through their own fault. Actual grace works through our will but doesn't destroy our freedom of choice. God needs our cooperation, first, then His grace does most of the work. We can choose not to cooperate with God's Grace. Adam and Eve chose not to cooperate with God's Grace. Mary, God's mother, chose to cooperate with God's Grace. We can let God's grace go unused by our indifferent attitude, by our positive resistance.
God is so wonderful in spite of our nonsense. Even when we resist Him He sends (sometimes) another grace called Efficacious Grace. It is sufficient grace plus. It is a grace that is not only sufficient but so strong that it accomplishes its purpose. Reference: Text, page 109.
There are two sources of Divine Grace -- prayer and the sacraments.
Prayer is the lifting of our minds and hearts to God.
Prayer can either be vocal or mental:
Sacraments increase Sanctifying Grace after baptism, especially Holy Eucharist. Also the Mass is a limitless source of grace.
Without Sanctifying Grace all of our good works, no matter how wonderful, great or spectacular, they will have no eternal value -- no merit -- in the eyes of God.
Merit -- that part of a good work which entitles the person to a reward - Eternal value. What reward or value? An increase of Sanctifying Grace, merit can only be gained on Earth. None in Purgatory, None in Hell. Mortal sin wipes out all merit gained to that point. These merits will be gained back for the soul through the Sacrament of Penance. You must remember that to gain merit for your actions, your intention must be to do God's will that day -- living in union with God -- in a state of Sanctifying Grace.
Important -- Every morning say your "morning offering." Reference: Page 65, small catechism or page 271 Catholic Dictionary or page 296 Catechism.
Remember -- Sanctifying Grace is Divine Electricity. It is impossible to live a full spiritual life, a life in tune with God's will, without it. The American Express Card once advertized "Don't leave home without it." This is good advice for us concerning Sanctifying Grace.